Boiler washing and filling system.



P. W. MILLER.

BOILER WASHING AND FILLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.30,1 911.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Sea 7 ZXMUG/AZZ?) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CLARENCE 1)., BAUERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKIV. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Boiler IVashing and Filling Systems; of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to b01161 washing and filling systems and aims more particu- ()n the drawings, 5 indicates'the blow-off line which is adapted to be connected with locomotive boilers and through which the blow-oil products from said boilers are discharged to a filling water heater 6. This heater is of well known construction embodying heads 7 spaced from the ends of the heater to form compartments which are connected together by fines or tubes 8 extending from head to head. A baffle plate 9 is located in the compartment at the entrance eiid of the heater to cause the blowoii' products to pass through the tubes to the opposite end of the heater and then back through the lower tubesbefore they are discharged through the pipe 11 to a tank 12. The chamber or space surrounding the tubes 8 and between the head 7 is filled with water adapted to be conveyed through the refilling line 13 to the l0como tive boiler for refilling purposes, this water being heated while contained in the heater by the heat units of the blow-ofi' steam'and water passing through the tubes ,8.

In order to utilize the heat units of the exhaust steam from the pumps and power boilers which are ordinarily located in the proximity of the boiler washing and filling plant I have connected the exhausts from these boilers and pumps by means of pipes Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

I Application-filed October 30, 1911. Serial No. 657,491.

11 and 15 with the blow-oli' line 5, so that the exhaust steam will be conveyed to the heater with the blow-off products from the boilers and the heat units of the exhaust atmosphere as iscustomary in many power plants now in use. A check valve 10 is located in the. blow-off line to prevent the exhaust steam delivered to the pipe 15 from passing back intothe blow-off line 5 and a check valve 17 islocated in the pipe 15 to prevent the blow-off steam from passing back to the exhaust line 14 in case the pressure in the blow-off line exceeds that in the exhaust line. A back pressure valve 18 is adapted to open when the pressure in the exhaust line 14 rises above a predetermined point to thereby relieve the pressure. A. scale pocket 19 is connected with the blowoff line to receive the scale, sediment and othersolid matter conveyed from the locomotiveboilers along with the blow-oil steam and water. The scale pocket is connected by a pipe 21. with a sewer or drain and a hand valve 23 is located in the pipe 21 to normally close the lower end of the scale pocket.

this purpose.

The blow-ofi' water which is delivered to the tank 12 is permitted to overflow to the sewer through the overflow pipe 25, the inner end of which extends downwardly into the tank so that the steam will not escape to the sewer along with the water. In order that the water may not be siphoned from the tank into the sewer a small vent opening 26 is provided in the crown of the pipe 25. A reservoir 27 adapted to contain water for washout and refilling purposes is located preferably adjacent the I tank 12 and the surplus steam in said tank ion is conveyed to the reservoir through a pipe 28 which is preferably provided at its inner end with a nozzle or head 29 through which to the reservoir Where it is discharged preferably through a head 32 similar to the head 29. In order to relieve excessive pressure' in the heater 6 a pipe 33 is provided which is equipped with a back pressure valve 34 adapted to open and permit excess steam to escape when the pressure in the tank rises above a predetermined point.

A predetermined level of water is maintained in the reservoir 27 through a supply pipe 35 connected with any suitable source of water supply such as a city main, for instance, or a supply tank and the supply of water to the tank is controlled by a float valve 36 disposed in the pipe 35 and adapted to be actuated by a float 37 arranged to operate in a float chamber 38 connected by a pipe 39 with the interior of the reservoir. The water is delivered, as will be evident from the drawings, into the top of the reservoir and between the steam heads 29 and 32. In order that the water may be spread out in thin sheets and heated by the steam in the reservoir I provide a plurality of perforated plates 41 preferably extending longitudinally of the tank and over and through which the water must flow' upon its deliverance from the pipe 35. It will be evident that the water will be at least partially heated by the steam above the water level in the reservoir by flowing over these perforated plates, but in order to maintain the Water in the reservoir at a predetermined temperature and suitable for washing out purposes I have provided a pipe 42 connected with any suitable source of live steam and terminating in branches 43 in the reservoir below the water level. The supply of live steam through this pipe is controlled by means of a thermostatic valve 44 governed from a thermostat 45 projecting into the interior of the tank. \Vhen the temperature of the water in the reservoir falls below a predetermined point the thermostat 45 causes the valve 44 to open whereupon live steam is admitted to the reservoir in'suflicient quantity to raise the water therein to the required temperature.

Excess pressure in the reservoir "27"is" permitted to escape through a pipe 46 equipped with a suitable back pressure valve 47 and in order to prevent the formation of a vacuum in the reservoir by the condensation of the steam therein I have provided a small vent pipe 48 connected with the pipe 46 through which air is admitted to prevent the collapse of the reservoir. The water is withdrawn from the reservoir by a pump 49 through a suction pipe 51 and is delivered by the pump through a pipe 52 which is branched as shown, the branch 53 connecting with the water chamber between the heads 7 of the heater 6 and the branch 54 extending through the roundhouse as a washout line to convey the partially heated water from the reservoir to the locomotives for washout purposes. The end compartments of the heater 6 may be cleaned out by opening the valves 55 and the water compartlnent between the heads may be cleaned out by opening the valve 57, the pipes in which all of these valves are located being connected by means of the pipe 58 with the discharge pipe 21 leading from the suction pipe to the sewer. The reservoir 27 may be likewisecleaned out by opening the valves 59 and 61 permitting the contents of the reservoir to be discharged through the pipe 62 to the sewer. A check valve 63 is located in said pipe 62 to prevent the solid matter discharged from the pipe 21 from entering or collecting in the pipe 62. A pipe 64 provided with a hand valve 65 is provided to permit the cleaning of the tank 12 when required.

In the operation of this system the blowoif steam and water enters the heater from the blow-off line above the baffle plate 9, passes through the tubes 8 to the opposite end of the heater and thence back to the entrance end from whence they are delivered through the pipe 11 to the tank 12. A portion of the steam rises uncondensed from the heater 6 and is conveyed by the pipe 31 to the reservoir 27 where it is utilized in heating fresh water delivered by the pipe 35. The blow-01f water in the tank 12 overflows through the pipe 25 to the sewer while the surplus steam is delivered through the 100 pipe 28 to the reservoir 27 where it is also utilized for heatingfresh water delivered by the pipe 3.5. The water level in the reservoir ismaintained by the float controlled valve 36 and the water is maintained at a 105 predetermined temperature by the thermostatically controlled valve 44. The water which is stored in the reservoir 27 is utilized for both washout and refilling purposes, it

being withdrawn from" the reservoir by the pump 49 anddelivered either directly through the washout line 54 to the locomotives for washout purposes or through the heater 6 where it is further heated by the 'ihlow eff -p oduct's to the refilling line 13 for refilling purposes.

It is believed that my invention, one form of its construction, its operation and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing without further "description and it will be manifest that the conception is capable of embodiment in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the material advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. In a boiler washing and filling system, the combination of a filling water heater, means for conducting blow-off steam and water to said heater, a separating tank, 130

means for conducting blow-off steam and Water from said heater to said tank, a washout and refilling water reservoir, means for conducting Water to said reservoir, means for maintaining a predetermined water level in said reservoir, a perforated plate disposed in the top of said reservoir beneath the water inlet, a pipe for delivering the steam rising uncondensed from the fillin water heater to said reservoir beneath said plate, a second pipe for conveying the steam separated from' the water in said tank to the filling water reservoir beneath said plate, the water delivered to the reservoir being heated by the steam delivered by said pipes, a refilling line connected with said filling water heater, a washout line, and means for sup lying water to said heater and to said was out line from said reservoir.

2. In a' boiler washing and filling system, the combination of a filling water heater, means for conducting bloW-ofl steam and water from locomotive boilers to said heater, means for conducting blow-oil steam from power boilers to said heater, a washout and refilling water reservoir, means for supplying water to said reservoir, means for maintaining a predetermined water level there in, a separating tank, means for delivering blow-off steam and water from said filling water heater to said tank, means for delivering the water from said tank to a sewer, means for conveying the steam separated from said water to said washout and refilling water reservoir, means for conveying the steam rising uncondensed from said filling water heater to the reservoir for heating the water delivered thereto, means for conducting water from said reservoir to said filling water heater, means for conducting refilling water from said heater to a boiler, and means for conducting washout water from said reservoir to a boiler.

FRANK W. MILLER.

Witnesses:

IRA J. WILSON, M. A. KIDDIE. 

